Hi all
ok, so I once again decided to eat top ramen this month and squandered my retirement check again on a coin. I can't help it. It's like a disease in which there are, as far as I can see, only two cures. 1. lack of money. 2. a nagging wife who would rather have food on the table and the bills paid than a husband who likes coins... how unreasonable is that, I ask you?
ok, by referencing the 2007 Krause "Standard Catalog of Modern World (Gold) Coins", (this catalog also represents some platinum numbers, like the coin in question is about), which is the proof 2004W platinum $100 eagle (not to be confused with the proof "regular" $100 platinum eagles). both are 1 ounce.
I used a Krause 2007 catalog. here are the mintage numbers. this is when platinum spot prices were $1,150 to $1,350 and their respective values (yes, I know, these are or are not what the actual market value is, the catalog stated value (like what the NGV values a coin)) is just a guide and can be way off, and yes, I know the value of a coin is what the buyer is willing to pay for it and not what any stated value are, but they may serve somewhat as a rough general guide in some to most cases.
The stated value is what KRAUSE valued the coin at when the 2007 catalog came out... not what NGC says what the value is, and I know that the ACTUAL mintage numbers can be way off as well, with the understanding what the catalog says vs. how many were ACTUALLY minted, what the current value really is, etc.
An asterick (*) means that the mintage figures were from a source other than Krause. also please note that the figures given below are for the "W" proof coins, not the burnished or the "regular" proof series. now, with that being said...
1. 1997W 15,885,
2. 1998W 14,203, $1,275
3. 1999W 12,363*, $1,275
4. 2000W 12,453, $1,275
5. 2001W 8,990, $1,275
6. 2002W 9,834, $1,275
7. 2003W 6,991, $1,275
8. 2004W 5,883, $4,500 !!
9. 2005W 6,700, $1,345
10. 2006W 9,152*, $1,345
11. 2007W 4,769*, Unknown
Note: for somewhat of a comparison in numbers, the mintage numbers for the platinum "regular" proof $100 eagles in 1997 were 56,000*, and for 1998 was a whopping 133,002, with the lowest being in 2006 for a mintage figure of 6,000 DURING THESE YEARS ONLY.
I do not know the figures/values from 2008 - present are. ok, while the Krause stated known mintage figures are, 2004 APPEARS to have slightly less of a mintage figure than the MOST of the others, but only by a couple of hundred, nothing substantial during these years. In fact, the 2007W mintage numbers are LESS than the 2004W series as best I can figure out. the differences in mintage numbers (up to 2008 anyways) in the "W" series are nothing that would get one's panties in a wad.
ok, that being said, why does the 2004 value figure (according to Krause in 2007) is like triple when compared to the other years? Additionally, NGC values the coin at $3,650 (early 2018). Again, I know that these values mean almost next to nothing when it comes to what people will actually pay for them. example: only one person is interested in a coin and will pay $1,000 for it. get another person in the mix (or the same person who may be drunk and have a hot potential girlfriend looking over his shoulder) and the buyer is willing to pay double or more for it, or gets in a who-is-the-top-dog / alpha male bidding "war".
Also, the asking prices for the platinum $100 eagles prices of whatever type (proof, "W" proof, burnished) are all over the map... from $1,400 (approx.) up to near $6,000 or more (using
ebay as a guide, which is really not a reliable guide at all in the first place). But suffice to say that
ebay does not seem to recognize or otherwise indicate any higher market or asking values/prices for the 2004 than the other years, except in a few limited cases.
For the most part, the value of a coin is what a buyer is willing to pay for it. However, try to convince a buyer (or others) of that in the morning, when he has a hangover and cannot remember what he did the night before except for a vague memory that he bought a coin for what ends up being ten times the amount he can find as a reference price anywhere...
So, here finally (I know I went around the barn on this one) is my question... why did Krause give a figure of $4,500 for the 2004 while the others were approx. $1,300? Is there anything really special for this year? If so, I cannot find out what it is, or IF there is. The mintage figures for the "W" series do not vary hugely, so I am discounting that.
My opinion is that this is just an (clerical?) error in value by Krause. I have seen several errors of differing types in several Krause catalogs. However, I am interested in what your opinion is.
thanks... mike
Posted 07/17/2018 7:38 pm
